Regional Briefs: Feb. 6

Jurors will resume deliberations today in the trial of two Whittier men accused of robbing and killing a San Pedro woman in 2009.

Raul Tiscareno and Daniel Martinez are the last two defendants tried for the murder of Ginie Samayoa, 27, who was found Jan. 30, 2009, slumped in her car which was in an alley near her home. Authorities said she had been shot in the back of the head.

Samayoa died of her injuries the next day.

The suspects attempted to rob Samayoa of her laptop containing credit card numbers and other information related to identity theft, the prosecutor said.

Martinez is accused of firing the gun that killed Samayoa.

ALHAMBRA

Monterey Park store owner faces trial

A judge ruled Tuesday there was enough evidence for the charges to stand against a Monterey Park yogurt shop owner accused of tying up, kidnapping and trying to rape one of his employees.

The preliminary hearing for Robert Yachen Lee, 37, of Walnut ended Tuesday in Alhambra Superior Court. He was held to answer to charges of kidnapping to commit rape, attempted murder, assault to commit a felony and possession of child pornography, according to Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman with the District Attorney's Office.

She said Lee will return to Alhambra Superior Court for a Feb. 19 arraignment.

Most of the charges stem from the Aug. 24, 2011, incident at O My Yogurt in the 2200 block of South Atlantic Boulevard in Monterey Park.

Monterey Park police alleged Lee lured the woman to an upstairs storage room and attacked her from behind.

She was bound, put in a box which was then placed into a padded and soundproof room, authorities said.

The woman, wearing only an adult diaper, freed herself. She ran to an optometry office and asked them to call police.

WHITTIER

Police nab fleeing robbery suspect

A man allegedly robbed a frozen yogurt place of an undisclosed amount, fled from officers but was found in a restaurant Tuesday.

The robbery occurred at 3:13 p.m. at Tutti Frutti, 7922 Norwalk Blvd.

"There was no weapon seen and it is not known how much money was taken," Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said.